Francis Newton Souza (1924-2002)

Very thick application of paint with brush and occasionally directly from tube. Overall very good condition. Colours richer than the catalogue illustration.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Souza's early paintings were constructed with thick black lines that enclosed glowing colors. Later this style gave way to cross-hatching that became his characteristic mode of working for several years.  'I have not only dehumanised man into two lines cross-hatched on either side, but I have also reduced the cosmos to a dot.' (Souza quoted in Edwin Mullins, F. N. Souza, London, 1962, p. 17). Later still, the black line disappears completely from his paintings, and the current work from 1971 (the year of his son's birth) is characteristic of this later style and can be compared to Manhattan Sunset on the West Side, Cyclists in Central Park and Balzac Etcetera that were all painted in the same year. In all of these works, color is the driving force within the composition and the boundaries of independent features of the landscape or figure are intentionally blurred creating instead a riotous cacophony of color.